Be a Solution toWater Pollution

ACTIVITY BOOK

Clean Water Campaign40 Courtland Street, NE

Atlanta, GA 30303www.cleanwatercampaign.com

Have you ever walked next to a stream and seen trash floating in the water?

Do you know how it gets there? Every time it rains, the water runs off the

land and picks up pollutants such as dirt, oil, pet waste, litter, trash,

pesticides and fertilizers. This polluted water flows into street drains and

ditches that eventually drain to waterways. Never dump anything that you

would not want to drink or swim in on the ground, in the street or down a

storm drain. It will go into a river, lake or stream.

Tell your friends and family

how they can…

“Be a Solution toWater Pollution”

Can you find all of the things in the creek that do not belong?

Waterdrops go through an amazing journey to get to streams and creeks.

Please help this raindrop to find his way home

through the drain and into the nearest river.

Using curb markers (decals) or stenciling storm drainsis a way to get involved

in your community. You can earn badges from service organizations or

awards for participating in these events. Interested in finding a stenciling

activity in your area? Contact your local government for more information.

Connect the dots and color in the letters to practice storm drain stenciling.

It is important to cleanup after your dog. Every time it rains, “poop” is

collected by rainwater and dumped into a nearby storm drain or into a river,

lake or stream. Carry a plastic or paper bag with you to pick-up after dogs

and throw it in the trash.

THE WATER CYCLE

Water is always being recycled through our environment. It moves through the air, vegetation and earth. Thiscontinuous movement is called the water cycle. It starts when water from lakes, ponds, or the ocean is warmedby the sun and evaporates into water vapor. This invisible vapor rises into the atmosphere where it coolsand changes back into water droplets, or condensation. Water changes into little drops by “condensing” or“squeezing together” in the air, and we get clouds.

Another way that water vapor travels in the air is through transpiration. Transpiration is how plants losewater out of their leaves. When the sun shines on plants, tiny drops of water are released into the air.

As more water vapor cools into the clouds, the water droplets that form the clouds become larger and larger.When the droplets get big enough, they drop down to the ground as rain, or precipitation. Rain eithersoaks into the ground (infiltration) and becomes groundwater or it runs off the land and drains into rivers,lakes and streams(runoff).

As water falls to earth in various forms of precipitation, plants intercept or catch some of the water beforeit falls to the ground. This is called interception.

Groundwater is under the ground and in the soil. It is the water that plants and animals use to drink. Somewater will seep through the ground and flow into a river, lake or stream and help keep them filled with water.The cycle repeats over and over again.

Label the steps of the water cycle on this drawing by filling in the blanks with the words below..

condensationtranspiration

evaporationinterception

infiltrationprecipitation

runoffgroundwater

We can “Be a Solution to Water Pollution”

by recycling cans, bottles, milk jugs, plastic bags

and newspapers at home or in school.

Below is a list of scrambled words, which stands for

items that can be recycled.

1. wspeprane _______________

2. lsgas _______________

3. ttlesob _______________

4. slaptic _______________

5. likm sugj _______________

6. ulamniunm acns _______________

Answers: 1. newspaper, 2. glass, 3. bottles, 4. plastic, 5. milk jugs, 6. aluminum cans

Fish and other aquatic life rely on clean water. Plastic bags, oil, other

chemicals and other pollutants cause harm to fish.

Find the fish and color them in.

Working in the garden or on a lawn is a fun activity to do with grown-ups.When helping to clean a yard, remember not to dump anything down a stormdrain or in the street. Can you find what is wrong with this picture?

Circle the mistakes that the people in this drawing are making.

FERT

ILIZ

ER

OIL

Answers:

1. fertilizer spilled on street

2. spraying pesticides on or near paved services and it running into storm drain

3. oil on the street and sidewalk that could wash into storm drain

4. blowing leaves into thestreet or storm drain

5. washing dirt into the storm drain

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Keep It Clean, Drains to Stream

Please Recycle

Clean Water Campaigncleanwatercampaign.com

This certifies that

(Write your name here)

has completed this activity book and earned a Clean Water Badge. Good job!

Signed:____________________________

Raindrop

Good job! Ask your parent, teacher or troup leader to help you cut out your badge.

I'M A SOLUTION TO WATER POLLUTION!